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Multiple Foreign Bodies in a 5-Year Old: Non-Accidental Trauma
Abstract
Foreign bodies, a significant proportion of which are a result of non-accidental trauma, are common but under-reported. Pediatric foreign body injuries can be inconsequential, severe or even fatal, and cause long-lasting morbidity and the need for treatment and hospitalization. Evaluation of injury or death requires elements of detection, pattern recognition, interpretation and comparison, all based on clinical, radiological and forensic experience with normal and abnormal findings. We report an unusual and strange case of non-accidental trauma in a young child who presented to our surgical services with 44 sewing needles and wires in his body. The patient had specific characteristics or risks for abuse. His injuries were evaluated, recognized, documented and reported. He was treated for peritonitis and malnutrition and the foreign bodies removed using staged operations under image guidance. Patient’s recovery was uneventful.
Keywords: Multiple foreign bodies, Trauma
